The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of herbaceous perennial, more particularly to a hybrid variety of hibiscus.
The new cultivar was developed by William L. Morrison as a progeny by cross-pollination in a garden in Park Ridge, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. The plant was originally produced as a seedling and has been-successfully asexually reproduced by root crown division in a greenhouse located in the backyard of William Morrison, 1023 West Crescent Avenue, Park Ridge, Ill. 60068. The plant has also been reproduced by vegetative reproduction, i.e., by tip and stem cuttings. The original seedling had parentage of xe2x80x98Pink Sparklexe2x80x99 (unpatented) pollen parent and xe2x80x98No. 24 Whitexe2x80x99 (unpatented) seed parent, both of which are cultivars of Hibiscus moscheutos grown and named by William L. Morrison. The present cultivar is a herbaceous perennial; the stalks die back to ground level every winter and new stalks emerge in late spring. The trade name xe2x80x9cETNAxe2x80x9d has been coined for this cultivar, although the cultivar was neither marketed nor was its existence made public prior to the filing of the present plant patent application.
The present cultivar is distinguished by having flowers of from ten to twelve inches in diameter. These unusually large flowers can be cut and used for centerpiece displays. By comparison, Hibiscus rosa-sinenis (Chinese Hibiscus Rose of China) flowers are two to six inches in diameter, and Hibiscus syriacus (Rose-of-Sharon or Althea) flowers are three to six inches in diameter.
The flowers of the present cultivar may be distinguished from the flowers of both of its parents as they are 3-4 inches larger in diameter, they retain their flat shape for up to 2 days longer, and the petals are completely overlapping. The pollen parent was a true pink, with darker pink markings, while the seed parent was white. The flowers of the present cultivar are pale pink, almost white, with darker pink markings. Another important distinction is the blooming cycle, which lasts 2-3 weeks longer than either of its parent plants.
The greatest number of flowers for the present cultivar was obtained in environments of half to full sun. The largest flowers were obtained at summer temperatures from 70 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Smaller flowers were observed to bloom at temperatures as low as 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reproduction by root crown division consistently produces plants with identical, stable characteristics. A further botanical description of the new variety follows below. In the following descriptions, color references are made to The RHS Colour Chart (1995, The Royal Horticultural Society), except where general terms of ordinary significance are used. Distinguishing color characteristics are listed on the attached Plant Color Coding Sheet. The distinguishing characteristics listed thereon should not necessarily be assumed to be exhaustive. Although the listed characteristics are believed to be the primary distinguishing color characteristics of the cultivar, it is possible that others may become evident upon further observation and comparison with other cultivars. These descriptions were made from specimens reproduced and grown under greenhouse and outdoor gardening conditions in suburban St. Louis, Mo.